Step for automobiles and other vehicles.



F. H. STANWOOD.

STEP FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2 1913.

1,144,31 Patented June 29, 1915. F91

IIIIIIIII a citizen of the mama n. srnnwoon, .ornmeron, massncnussrrs.

srnr ronnu'romonrrns snnornnnvnnrcnns.

mamas.

Specificationiof Letters Patent.

Eatented June29, 19115.

. 'l'flppltcati'onifildmiayfi, 1913. :Scrial No. 7345998. I

To all whom; it may concern I Be itknown that PI,' FR AN-K Hzs'ranwoon, United States, residing in Arlington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented anew anduseful Improvement in Steps .for Automobiles and other Vehicles,of whichthe following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in steps for automobiles and other vehicles.

fineobject ofmy invention is toconstruct the tread surfaces of running boards and I steps usuallyremployedmponthe sidiesof automobiles and other vehicles, 450 that they will-automatically tend to loosen :and dis lodge from the shoes of the persons using the... ivehicles any snow or dirt adhering to theshoes, and-.tmthisend I form the tread surface preferably from specially prepared cactus .fiber arranged in upright position in a suitable support, the fiber being arranged in closely associated bunches, the points or extremities of the :fibers projecting above and substantially entirely covering the support '-:so that such projecting portions when forced'into the snow ior dirt adhering to the shoes.

The invention fiirthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and ,in the novel combinations :of the parts and devices herein shown,

described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a running-board .for automobiles showing the same provided with myiimprovements. Fig.

2 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on' the *line '2'-''2 of Fig. '1.

an enlarged transverse sectional view taken portion 6 forming of'on'e of the'side doors of the automobile.

Fig. 3 1s a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed enlarged section showing the manner of securing the fiber in position. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified improvements. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the form shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

In said drawing, 5 represents the run- I hing-board of an automobile or other vehicle, the same being provided with a portionfi embodying my mprovements, said the step directly in front The running-board has a surrounding frame which may be of any desired construction and is supported from the automobile body 'will hand slightly and be construction showing myby hangers 20. Theportion 6 of the runto'practically entirely cover the =-upper surace of the transversely extending boards 9. As shown more clearly in Fig. 4 the individual fibers, which are .preferably chemioally prepared so that they are impervious toimoisture, composing the bunches are doubledat their centers and inserted in tapering recesses or seats 10 in the boards 9, the bunches then being fastened in the recesses in any one of the 'ways now commonly in use in brush making, as for instance by stapling the bunches to thelboards inwh-ich they are seated, or by-pouring liquid rubher or cement into the recesses and allowing it :to set. The boards 9, as shown, extend transversely .of the ruiming board and are spaced apart as indicated at 11, so that snow, ice and dirt which may fall upon them may have abundant opportunity-to fall through and escape to the ground, and furtherinore to provide insane for drawing off i dinally extending plates '12 as by means of Screws '13 and supportedonangle irons 107, see Fig. 52, forming a part-of the frame 7 Theend boards 9.21m also rabbeted, as shown at 20.9, in order do be-made fiush with the intermediate boards 9.

In order to facilitate repairing, replacing and cleaning of the parts subjected to :the most wear, I may adopt ithe construcaion illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, wherein the running-board 5 is provided with a portion 106 that receives the greatest amount of wear, said portion -106 being constructed as follows and readily removable and replaceable: The'portion 106 comprises a frame 21, corresponding in shape and size to the opening cut in the runningboard '5, said frame 5 havinga laterally extending flange 22 around its top edge adapted to engage and over-lapthe top of the running-board around the opening and pre venting the tread portion from falling through as shown most clearly in Fig. 7.

Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the boards 23 being also suitably spaced apart and held in the frame 21 by metal straps 24, theboards 23 being secured to the straps 24 by screws or other suitable devices and the straps 24 having up-turned ends 12% secured to the inner side of the frame 21, see Fig. 7. In order to hold the tread portion 106 in position, bolts 25 are provided which extend down from the straps 24, said bolts 25 passing through suitable perforations in triangularshaped clamping irons 26, the latter having their outer ends and apices engaging a-metal wear-plate 27 secured to the running-board and extending around the opening therein, the tread portion 106 being adjustably secured to the clamping irons 26 as by nuts 28.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that the tread portions 6 and 106 form a continuous unbroken surface with the rest of the running-board 5, that the arrangement of the bunches of fiber is such that the same will readily yield under the persons weight and will engage and knock off dirt, snow, 'etc., on the'persons shoes, that the spacing part of the boards 9 and 23 permits the dirt to readily fall out, that the tread portion 106 is readily removable for repairs or cleaning and that the con struction described is particularly desirable because it does not weaken the runningboard or step to which it is applied. As will be understood, the tread portion may be duplicated on the same running-board where the running-board extends past two doors of an automobile.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my improvements, yet it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A running-board for automobiles and other vehicles, the running-board having an opening therein, a plurality of boards supported in said opening, the boards being spaced apart to thereby permit accumulated dirt to be washed therethrough and each board having a flat tread surface composed of fiber strips, the tips of the fiber strips being arranged to form a continuation of the remaining surface of the running-board, substantially as specified.

2. A running-board for automobilesand other vehicles, said running-board having an opening therein and a tread surface detachably supported in said opening, said tread surface comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and each provided with a yieldable surface adapted to loosen. foreign matter from the shoes of persons stepping thereon, said tread surface being arranged to form a flat'continuous, substantially unbroken surface with the rest of the running-board, substantially as specified.

3. A running-board for automobiles and other vehicles having an opening therethrough and a tread surface detachably supported therein, said tread surface comprising a plurality of spaced boards rigidly held together in proper relation with respect to each other by metal straps whereby all of said boards are removable simultaneously, and means for detachably holding said tread surface in position. the tread surface comprising fiber strips, the tips of which are exposed and arranged to forma flat substantially unbroken surface with the rest of the running-board, substantially as specified.

-Signed this 28th day of April, 1913.

FRANK H. STANWOOD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. ROBINSON, EDNA C. Pmnon. 

